“I’m not asking more of you than I’m asking of any of the huntsmen here,” Emris said. His voice was serious. “I mean it; you have to follow my orders, no matter whether you agree with them or not. Promise?”

Something in his voice convinced her to agree. “I promise.”

The bright jewel of the palace glowed in the darkness, the curiously plain, square bulk set on the northernmost of the seven hills. It rose from the ground to impossible height, its glowing windows like eyes narrowed in suspicion. Seven towers stood sentinel above the battlements, as straight and thin as needles, their pointed roofs shining gold even in the moonlight. The building was surrounded by a steep grass border, and a deep moat encircled it like a glittering necklace.

As they descended, Lena noticed that the wide drawbridge was down and appeared to be deserted. Odd, she thought. Even in Duke’s Forest, the castle was heavily guarded. “Where are all the guards?”

“They probably rushed inside the palace to help,” Emris said, his voice low with foreboding. “Something is very wrong here.”

The horse descended farther, its hooves finally hitting the drawbridge with a clatter—the other huntsmen following close behind. At the sound of the hooves, a pair of guards dressed in black-and-white livery emerged from a small room at the side of the gates, their faces grim.

“What’s happened?” Emris demanded of the first.

“In the ballroom, huntsman. Lord Aster has taken the King and his guests hostage,” the man said, accepting Emris’s reins, “along with most of the guards who ran to help at the first sign of trouble. At least one woman is dead.”

As Emris questioned the guard for details, Lena wandered a few paces to one side, peering into the wide, white-paved courtyard edged by greenery. Yellow light fell in long strokes through the windows on the left side, glittering chandeliers visible between their frames. And there, in the center of the courtyard, she glimpsed a flash of red. Her skin turned cold, and she peered closer. A woman in a red silken gown lay sprawled facedown on the paving stones, blood pooling around her head.

Lena had seen plenty of dead bodies in her life. Some of them had even been victims of violence or murder. She was not squeamish. But this woman’s body was unnaturally twisted, her arms splayed at impossible angles, her legs mangled. Smashed glass surrounded her body in glittering shards. What had done this? A fall from a great height?

Or Chaos?

Why had Lena been so determined to come here? Did she really want to help, or was she drawn by something inside herself? She felt a prickle of fear.